After the battle, it became a political game. Both Vang Khan and I started making trips to visit various clan leaders. The object was to get them involved in an alliance with one side or another.

Most of my visits were to the Tartar clans. I had many relatives there and was surely to get them to come to my side.

There was one clan that I was not too sure of. The leader of that clan was named Turkili. I thought it best to send an ambassador to Turkili before approaching his camp. There were two reasons for this. First, I did not want Turkili to think I was attacking his camp. The second was that I knew Turkili would question the ambassador as to how many troops I had with me. The ambassador was sure to tell him the truth; “Thousands.!”

So Turkili invited me to visit him. I left my troops at a distance but still within range of where I knew Turkili would send scouts to verify the number of troops I had. Turkili and I had a nice discussion after which Turkili decided to give me his alliance.

This scenario repeated itself across the Tartar territory. The number of troops at my disposal grew with each visit. The Tartar Hordes were on my side and espoused my cause.

Eventually we came to a small stream that was very salty and undrinkable. I called the generals together and I made a sacrifice of a horse for the cause. I then took a cup of the salty water and drank it while proclaiming victory for our cause. I proclaimed this victory with my life and said that if I failed to live up to this proclamation that I would take my own life.

All the generals followed me by restating the oath proclaiming their own lives as worthy of the cause.

This committment was long remembered in my future army and is still celebrated.

I was 40 years old and at the height of my power in the Tartars. All the generals and their troops wanted to be associated with me knowing that they were the first to join my army. This would give each of them and their descendants a sort of nobility; if we succeeded on conquering Vang Khan’s territory.

By this time I was approaching Vang Khans territory in which he had established alliances.